. >> syria, i don't really wanter to thoer go -- >> too dangerous. >> reporter: too dangerous to get married in the country where their romance first began six years ago. >> i went to syria to teach photography to young iraqi women and we met at a party. >> reporter: fanny learned arabic, moved in with ala and the young lovers had plans to eventually start a family in syria. what did the uprising do to your plans? >> well, it separated us. >> reporter: fanny was in the u.s. last year when the protest movement first erupted. >> once it started, he said don't come back, fanny, because they would get in trouble for housing an american and just wasn't safe. >> reporter: from outside, fanny watched and worried as a brutal syrian government crackdown led to a fully fledged insurgency. ala says he finally no choice but to leave his country and his family when it came time for his mandatory military service. >> i don't want to be killed. i don't want to have to kill or shoot. >> how did you feel when you crossed the syrian border for the last time two weeks ago? >> i don't really -- for now,